Like that one guy said: Good writers borrow, great writers steal. Welcome to the place where all things have been lifted, looted, and otherwise pilfered…Remember, possession is 9/10s of the law.
Yay! It’s publication day for my newest short story “The Demon in the Gray Suit.” I’m very excited for you to read it. This story came from a mash-up of inspirations, including Dante’s Inferno, the structure of Anton Chekov’s “The Huntsman,” and a dash of The Good Place’s sense of humor (with a focus on…
Great news! Taylor Geiman and his team at Fantomvagn Films have released the fourth short film based on my 365 Little Stories writing project. Check it out: 100 Words at a Time was the last “official” story of 2016 — so, technically, it’s story #365. It holds a special place in my heart.
When I was in middle school, my mother subscribed to a Harlequin Romance book club. Every month, four new mass market titles would arrive in a plain cardboard box. And, even though the books were for my mom, she graciously allowed me to open that box every month. I got to be the first person…
My most recent short story rejection was a “personal” one. The one before that was a form rejection. As were the three before that. I am making progress on my rejection goal. 100 rejections for 2021. Why aim for so many rejections? Am I a masochist? Do I enjoy making myself feel bad? Do I…
I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes…writing is hard. Today I struggled. And I did not accomplish much. (The kitchen is clean. There’s that. It counts.) To help combat the doldrums I keep five writing books within reach of my desk. I thought that if anyone else was struggling — especially in the middle…
All right, because I’m a nerd like that, I insisted on reading Lovecraft Country before watching the show. I’m only a couple episodes in – so no spoilers! Here are a couple things I learned reading the novel: Acknowledge Your Literary Tradition…and Critique It. Art is not made in a vacuum. Every piece of writing…
Read more 2 Things I Learned About History’s Role in Writing from Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
Growing up, my mom was very consistent with my bedtime ritual: bath, book, bed. Bath — warm water, bubbles. By seven or eight months old, this first step was so necessary that my dad, left alone with me for an evening, had to call my mom away from a coffee (a military-wives get-together) because I…
